Atlanta Braves Rumors: ATL Would Be Wise to Get Interested in Roy Oswalt

If the Braves aren't interested in Roy Oswalt, they should get interested, especially if Oswalt is interested in them.

Oswalt is currently unsigned, but according to ESPN's Jayson Stark, two of Oswalt's friends say the pitcher's preference is to play in Texas, St. Louis or Atlanta this season.

Though it seems like the Rangers are the most likely landing spot for him if he lands anywhere at all—Oswalt's friends told Stark that among the reasons he'd like to play there are his relationship with Nolan Ryan and the fact that he wouldn't have to worry about run support—this should be a gamble the Braves are willing to take.

The 34-year-old pitcher was far from lights-out last season, making 23 starts for the Phillies and going 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA. He hasn't been truly dominant since 2008, but in half a season, he won't tire out and will have plenty of time to get himself into form.

Plus, for a fourth or fifth starter, a guy with a 3.21 career ERA is a pretty good option. Atlanta's offense currently ranks fourth in the league in runs, so it's not as though run support would be an issue there.

One source told Stark that the reason teams aren't biting on Oswalt is because his asking price is ridiculously high. The source said: 

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He wants a ton of money to pitch half a season. But based on how he pitched last year, it wasn't like he was dominant. So he's not a guy who's going to wrap up the pennant for you. He'd be a nice guy to add to the bottom of the rotation. He's not a guy you're adding to the top of your rotation, at this stage. But [based on his asking price] he doesn't see it that way. 

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The Braves, however, are a large market team with a payroll ($83,309,942) that puts them right in the middle of the pack. They can afford Oswalt, and he has the capability to make a big impact.

Atlanta needs a back-of-the-rotation starter. The Jair Jurrjens experiment obviously didn't work out, as he's been demoted to Triple-A. Tim Hudson is holding up for now, but who knows how long that will last? He has a long and extensive injury history and isn't getting any younger—he'll be 37 in July.

As it stands, the Braves rank 20th in the league in team ERA, and Oswalt is far from a sure thing, but he's a three-time All-Star and a guy who's finished on the Cy Young spectrum six times in 11 seasons. You have to believe he'd help them out in a division that, at the moment, is very wide open.

This is a risky move, but it's one the Braves should be willing to take. They need him.